


Secret Set Up

by AshREvans



Series: Complications [1]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-29
Updated: 2016-02-29
Packaged: 2018-05-23 23:29:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6133837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshREvans/pseuds/AshREvans
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jake English is a young, successful man in the arms dealing business. He has money, guns, a dog, and a decently sized house. The only thing he doesn't have is a girl. Until he meets one when taking his dog Bec to the dog park. A budding relationship blossoms only to be ripped to shreds when the girls ex-boyfriend returns from the war after being MIA and Dirk puts these ideas into Jake's head about how she's just not that into him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Taking his puppy to the dog park in his town, a young man known as Jake English started to wonder if it would be a good idea to let Bec off his leash and mingle without him. His worry was not unwarranted, however. Bec was a curious pup, not very domesticated and had a habit of disappearing and reappearing at random. He lives mostly around where Jake lived and while Bec wasn’t "legally" Jake's dog, or anyone's for that matter, the young man had taken quite a liking towards the mysterious pup and felt a sort of responsibility towards him.

When the two arrived at the dog park, Jake decided that Bec had been a good boy thus far and thought a reward was in order and removed the leash. Bec looked up at Jake.

"Go on, boy. Have fun. I'll be right behind you." Jake said and scratched Bec behind the ears.

The puppy yipped and ran off, Jake following behind him, just to keep a close eye. While Bec was socializing, Jake thought he heard someone call his name.

"Jake!!" Came an unfamiliar voice of a woman. "Jake, stop!!" 

Jake turned around wondering who was calling his name and to stop what. However, the second he turned around, he heard a bark and a big brown mass of fur attacked him. Jake fell to the ground, his breath being knocked out of him and his head hitting the dirt hard. Standing on his chest was an adorable chocolate Labrador puppy. The puppy quickly proceeded to lick Jake's face and wag his tail.

Jake couldn't help but laugh at the puppy's antics and lifted his hands from the ground to pet the wiggling dog. Not long after, the dog was pulled back and Jake stood up, brushing himself off. 

"I am so sorry about that, sir." 

Jake looked up and saw probably the most beautiful woman he has ever seen in his life. She was maybe about a head shorter than him with brilliant (e/c) eyes and luscious (h/l) (h/s) (h/c) hair. Her cheeks burned with a pink color that only made her look more beautiful. Her lips were turned up in an embarrassed smile and thoughts of how those lips would feel on his invaded Jakes mind. Her curves looked so perfect and all Jake wanted to do was to wrap his arms around her, thinking that she would fit perfectly there.

Shame that someone as beautiful as her was probably already spoken for…

Physically shaking his head to shoo those thoughts, Jake ran his hands through his hair to get the dirt out of it.

* * *

_____ was following around her chocolate lab puppy, Jake. He was about 1 year old, human years, and was very lively and sociable, even with other people. She smiled fondly at her puppy as he jumped around with another puppy, a beagle who she found out was called Shadow.

As the two puppies were playing, _____ noticed another person out of the corner of her eyes coming in with a pure white dog. She looked up and found herself wondering what the breed was and how soft the fur might be under her fingers. Her eyes trailed up to the puppy's owner. He was tall, tan; his black hair was spiked up in the front and his jewel green eyes were covered by a pair of glasses. He looked pretty built, but not very, lanky and very attractive.

She didn’t notice she was staring until Jake barked and ran off towards the man and his dog. Her eyes widened before she regained the sense to chase after him.

"Not again!" She muttered as she ran after him, shouting his name. "Jake! Jake stop!!" 

Jake refused to listen to her and proceeded to tackle the man whom he has never seen at the park before. He started wiggling excitedly and licking the other man's face. _____ noticed that the man didn't seem to mind at all and even petted Jake. She blushed profusely and walked over to them and grabbed Jake by his red collar and pulled him back, slipping on his leash so he wouldn’t run off again the second she let go. She looked at the other man as he started to stand up.

"I am so sorry about that, sir." She said. 

"It's quite all right." He said. "It seems your dog quite likes people. I'm surprised he wasn’t chasing after another dog." 

His voice! _____ felt herself swoon and her blush darkened whether from his voice or what he said about her dog. "Jake is a very interesting puppy. He practically attacks other men. If they don’t kick him off, he usually comes to get me if I'm not already there. My friends joke that he's trying to get me a boyfriend." 

She knelt next to Jake and started to pet his head. He started wiggling excitedly again and barked happily. She smiled a bit. She didn't notice the man had walked up closer and knelt with her until his hand was close to the dogs face.

"May I?" 

_____ looked up and bit her cheeks when she realized how close his face was to hers. She nodded, not able to tear her eyes away from his green ones. "Of course." 

The man smiled and then reached his hand out more and started to pet Jake who barked again and started to push his body into the others hand. His tail was wagging a mile a minute. The man chuckled.

"You're such a good boy." He said and then stood up. He held his hand out to _____, who stood up as well. "Jake English, nice to meet you." 

She blinked a bit. "Well, that would explain why you looked up. You must have been so confused." She laughed a bit before taking his hand. "_____ ________. Pleasure. Are you ok?" She motioned to her head. 

Jake blinked almost as if he had forgotten and his hand went to the back of his head. "Now that you think about it, I do feel a bit dizzy." He said. It wasn’t a lie, however, the second he remembered about his head the world started to tilt.

"Oh my gosh. I am so sorry about that." _____ said. "If you need I can help you home. Did you walk? I have a car to drive you back. You're going to want ice on your head."

"I did walk, but you don't have to go through the trouble. I'm sure I'll be fine. I can make it home on my own, thank you." 

"No, I insist. It's my fault this happened. It's only fair that I help you home." _____ said. In all honesty, she just didn’t want to stop talking to Jake and she wasn’t sure she was going to see him again after today.

Jake smiled warmly at her. "Well, if you insist, I don't think I have any reason to decline." He turned and then whistled for his own dog. "Bec!" He called.

_____ could see the surprise on his face when the dog actually listened to him. He put the leash on his puppy and then turned to _____. He nodded at her to say he was ready and _____ led him to her car, unlocking it and letting the puppies to jump in the back seat.

* * *

While _____ drove her car, Jake watched her out of the corner of his eyes. He smiled a bit. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also warm and kind, not a combination that was usually in the same person. A few more minutes of driving passed and Jake spotted his home just a few lots down.

"We're here." Jake said.

"We are?" _____ asked and looked at him.

Jake nodded and pointed to a fairly large house, blushing a bit. _____ followed his finger and nodded, pulling up into the driveway.

"It's nice, Jake." She said and gave him a smile, parking the car.

"Thanks." He ran a hand through his hair. "Would you like to come in?"

"Oh um… I don’t know if I should. Jake needs water and get something to eat." _____ said politely. "Besides, I don’t want to intrude." 

"It wouldn't be an intrusion. Besides, I thought you wanted to take care of the bump on my head?" Jake asked, putting a little bit of teasing in his voice.

_____ smiled and pretended to sigh in defeat. "If you insist." She said.

Turning off her car, she got out, opening the door for the dogs and Jake got out as well, another wave of dizziness hitting him. He leaned against the car to keep himself from falling over. _____ appeared next to him and looked at him with concern.

"Would you like some help getting inside?"

Jake smiled gratefully at her. "That would be much appreciated." 

_____ smiled back at him before she helped him off the car and slid her arm around his waist. Jake slid his arm around her shoulders and leaned on her grateful as the world started spinning under him. The two walked slowly to the door where the dogs were waiting and Jake unlocked the door. The dogs ran in excitedly, Jake the chocolate Lab running after Bec as they ran towards the kitchen. 

"Where's your room?" _____ asked.

"Upstairs to the left." Jake replied.

_____ nodded and she took him to his room. Opening the door, Jake was greeted by the familiar sight of his room. A full sized bed sat in the middle of the room, pushed against the wall. On one side of the room was a huge glass case with all types of guns on display. By his nightstand his most prized double pistols sat by the lamp. _____ looked around in awe as she was mesmerized by the decorations of the room.

"You like guns, huh?" 

"I'm a bit of a collector." He smiled sheepishly as she helped him to his bed.

"Pretty cool." She said and laid him down. "Just relax here, I'll be back with some ice."

Jake nodded and watched her as she walked off, closing the door quietly behind her. She was so graceful… and feeling her arm around him and vice versa… it only succeeded in making his dizziness worse. He let out a wistful sigh and reached for the remote that he kept on the nightstand by his pistols and pointed it at the TV across the room in front of the bed and pressed the power button as he awaited _____'s return.

It wasn’t long before she came back, the puppies at her feet and an ice pack in her hand. She walked over to him and looked at him. 

"Can you sit up?" 

"I think so."

Jake slowly lifted himself from his bed and shifted around so his back was pressed against the headboard. _____ handed over the icepack, which Jake pressed against the back of his head where he hit the ground.

"Do you need anything else?" 

"Perhaps a kiss from the beautiful woman who helped me?" Jake asked, trying his best to flirt the way his best friend had taught him. He smirked slightly.

_____ giggled a bit. "I think you should take me on a date before we do that." She said and stood. "I really should head home now." 

She started towards the door before Jake reached out and caught her arm. "Will I see you again?" 

_____ looked at him and smiled. "I hope so."

With that, she left the room, her chocolate Lab following behind her. Jake watched as she left and wanted nothing more than to get up and chase after her, pulling her into his arms and kissing her breathless. But he was far to dizzy to get up without falling, much less run without hitting doors or walls. Letting out a sigh, he leaned his head back and pet Bec's head.

"She has to be an angel." Jake murmured.

* * *

A few hours after _____ had left Jake, he started to get hungry. He wasn’t dizzy anymore and his head started to feel better. Standing up, Jake made his way to his kitchen to make something to eat. Left over fried rice from the night before should be substantial enough. He grabbed a pan from his cupboard and his bottle of soy sauce from the pantry before going to his fridge. When he put his hand on the door, he noticed a note on it, stuck up there with a magnet. Taking it off, the magnet falling to the ground, Jake read it over.

_____ ________. (Home Address) ___-___-____. Call me.

Jake smiled and pulled out his phone, putting the information down. He needed to call her. He needed to see her again. He needed to talk to Dirk.


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm telling you man, she was gorgeous." Jake said and swirled the whiskey in his glass around before looking next to him at his best friend.

"All right, you've said that like a hundred times already. What makes her so special?"

Jake frowned when he saw the rather annoyed expression on his friends face. Dirk Strider's lips were turned down in a frown and Jake could practically tell that he was being glared at from behind those pointed anime shades.

"I told you already!" Jake said. "She's absolutely perfect." He went on to explain _____ to Dirk once more but before he got into it, Dirk held up his hand.

"Dude, shut up. I get it. She's beautiful, she's perfect. She's an angel. She's the one for you." Dirk said in a very shitty British accent. "What the hell are you doing talking to me about it instead of calling her?"

"I can't."

"Well why not?"

"I don't know what to say."

"Ah. I get it. You wanted advice from me on how to ask her on a date?"

Jake nodded, looking at the amber liquid in his glass before knocking it back. He waved the bartender down to refill it. "Yes."

"Well first things first, give me that." Dirk said and plucked the glass of whiskey from Jakes hand. "You don't want to ask her out while drunk so sober up."

"Aw come on! It's not like I intended to ask her out while I was smashed."

"Either way. Second. Just call her and say _will you go on a date with me._ "

"What if she doesn't know it's me?"

"I'm sure that since she left your number on her fridge, she will assume the only unknown number calling her would be you."

Jake sighed. "I suppose you're right." He ran a hand through his hair and took his glasses off, using his shirt to clean them before replacing them on his nose. "What if she says no?"

"Oh, my god. Give me your phone, English." Dirk said, getting fed up with Jake's insecurities about asking out a girl.

Jake raised an eyebrow and dug his phone out of his pocket. "What do you need it for?"

Dirk didn't answer before picking it up from his hand and then scrolled through the numbers until he found the one of the woman he was looking for. Without a thought he pressed call and pressed the phone to his ear, listening to it ring.

"Hey, _____. What's up?" Dirk said.

Dirk paused as he listened to the woman's response.

"I'm Dirk Strider, best friend and wing man of Jake English. I'm calling on his behalf." Another pause. "Yes, yes. He's fine. Totally healed. He apologizes for not calling yet… you know what, why don't you talk to him yourself."

Dirk smirked mischievously and then handed the phone over to Jake, pushing it to his ear. "D-Dirk! What are you d—"

"Hello? Jake?" came the familiar voice that Jake had been hearing over and over again in his head.

" _____!" Jake said, his face heating up as he took the phone from Dirk's hand.

"So what was that all about?"

"Nothing. Dirk was just being a dick. Sorry for that. I didn't mean to bother you."

"No, its fine. Not a bother at all. Is there something you need?" She asked and Jake could have sworn he heard a bit of hope in her voice.

"No… well I mean… _____... I was wondering… willyougoonadatewithme?" Jake blurted out so fast that he wasn't sure _____ understood him.

"What?"

Jake cleared his throat and looked at Dirk. His friend gave him an encouraging nod. Letting out a sigh, Jake tried again. "Will you go… on a date… with me?"

There was silence on the other line and Jake started to get worried. He thought he heard giggling from the other side of the line but he wasn’t sure, it was so quiet. For all he know, he was just imagining his two best friends Roxy and Jane laughing at him for trying to go out with someone so out of his league. After one long, unbearable moment, _____ finally responded.

"Of course. I would love to, Jake." She said and Jake thought she was trying hard to keep her voice under control.

"Great. So… how about I'll pick you up Saturday at 7?"

"Sounds awesome." She said. "I'll see you then, Jake."

"See ya."

The line went dead. Jake sat frozen in his seat with the phone pressed against his ear. He didn't move until Dirk physically had to take the phone away from him, locking it, and making him put his hand down.

"I take it she said yes?"

Jake simply nodded.

"You're too shocked to move?"

Jake nodded again and Dirk sighed before standing, leaving money on the table.

"Come on lover boy. We need to get you home." He said, standing up before making Jake stand and leading his best friend out of the Skaia bar and to his car. "I should probably help you plan this date and give you points on how not to fuck up. I do not want to have to deal with you being all heartbroken. Not after last time."

*     *     *

_____ sat at home with her friend, staring blankly at the TV. For the past few days, _____ couldn't stop checking her phone, so she asked her friend and roommate Roxy Lalonde to hang out to try to occupy her mind so she could stop thinking about Jake. Her puppy was sitting in her lap, slowly dozing off while she pet his head.

"Yo. Why are you being so mopey?"

_____ looked at her friend. Her blonde hair was cut just before her shoulders and the tips were dyed pink. Her lips were colored black and her eyes were pink, and she looked a little upset with _____ right now.

"Sorry, Rox. I just… he hasn’t called me yet. I really thought he liked me." She said. "Especially after what he said when I left a few days ago. What if he's not interested?"

"Oh trust me, hun, from what you've told me, he seems really interested. And cute. I'm sure if he was braver, he would have kissed you the second he saw you."

"You talk as if you know him." _____ said.

"I don’t. But I know a friend of his and I've heard about him before." Roxy said.

"Uh huh… but… Roxy… what if he never calls? I won't see him again and I really, really want to."

"I'm sure he'll call, _____. Don't worry. Just give him time. From what I've heard from his friend, he calls himself a brave adventurer, but when it comes to matters of the heart, it'll take him some time to gather up the courage to do anything."

"If you s—" before _____ could finish what she was saying, her phone started ringing.

_____ blinked and reached out quickly to grab the device. The number was unknown and she got excited. Opening the phone, she spoke.

"Jake?" She asked without thinking. Roxy started grinning madly.

"Hey, _____. What's up?" said an unfamiliar voice.

"Who is this? How do you know me name?"

"I'm Dirk Strider, best friend and wing man of Jake English. I'm calling on his behalf."

"Dirk?" _____ looked at Roxy who nodded and mouthed that was who she knew. "Is Jake all right?"

"Yes, yes. He's fine. Totally healed. He apologizes for not calling yet… you know what, why don't you talk to him yourself."

"Uh. Ok."

There was a slight commotion and _____ heard the British accent of the man she met only a few days before. "D-Dirk! What are you d—"

"Hello? Jake?" She asked

"_____!" he replied.

"So what was that all about?"

"Nothing. Dirk was just being a dick. Sorry for that. I didn't mean to bother you."

"No, its fine. Not a bother at all. Is there something you need?" She asked, trying not to sound hopeful, but failed. She looked at Roxy who nodded to her and gave her a thumbs up.

"No… well I mean… _____... I was wondering… willyougoonadatewithme?" Jake blurted out so fast that she didn’t understand him.

"What?"

Jake cleared his throat she heard him sigh before he tried again. "Will you go… on a date… with me?"

_____ froze and Roxy came over and took the phone from her, covering the speaker with her finger. "What happened, girly?"

"H-he asked me out." _____ said as a smile slowly reached across her face.

Roxy grinned and hugged her friend and the two of them laughed. "That's great!! Tell him you will, but try not to sound too excited. You don’t want him to think you've been waiting for this."

"Yeah. All right. Give me the phone back." She said and reached for her device. Taking a calming breath, she put the phone to her ear again and tried to talk in a suave voice. "Of course. I would love to, Jake." She said.

"Great. So… how about I'll pick you up Saturday at 7?"

"Sounds awesome." She said. "I'll see you then, Jake."

"See ya."

_____ hung up the phone and both girls were silent for a moment. She looked at Roxy and the two grinned before squealing.

"We should celebrate!" Roxy said. "I'll call Janey and we can go out for some drinks! My treat."

_____ smiled and nodded. "I think a celebration is in order." She said.

Roxy grinned at her friend's approval and pulled out her phone to call their third friend, Jane Crocker to tell her to meet them at their favorite bar, Skaia.


	3. Chapter 3

_____ paced her room. She had gotten a text from Jake that said to dress nice, but she wasn’t sure what that meant. Nice as in little black dress or nice as in not jeans and a t-shirt? She had asked Roxy and Jane about it, but gotten mixed answers. Roxy said to go all out regardless, to show off her hot body. She even loaned _____ one of her dresses, a mini sleeved black dress that hugged her curves and ended midway to her thighs. Jane said to wear whatever was comfortable, that if Jake really liked her, it shouldn’t matter what she wore.

Both ideas were good, but she didn’t want to be underdressed nor did she want to be overdressed. Looking at the two outfits laid out on her bed, she sighed.

"To hell with it." She muttered. "ROXY!"

Within seconds, _____'s roommate came into the room.

"What did you decide, girl?" She asked.

______ pointed to the outfit she chose. "Help me with my hair and makeup?" she asked.

"Of course." Roxy smiled and sat _____ down in front of the vanity before setting to work.

*     *     *

Jake stood at the door of _____'s house, his finger hovering over the doorbell. His hand was shaking and it was easy to tell that he was beyond nervous. What if she didn't know what he meant by dress nice? What if she thought that he was being bossy and was going to tell him that she changed her mind about the date? What if he was the one who ended up being underdressed compared to her?

He was dressed in black slacks and a green button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to just under his elbows. A black tie was fixed around his neck and his hair was styled the way it always was, as that was what looked best on him. Truth be told, he sat in front of a mirror for an hour trying to style his hair differently to see if anything look better. It didn't work out as he had hoped.

Swallowing hard, he closed his eyes and forced himself to push the doorbell. Opening his eyes as he heard the chime, he forced himself to breathe as he waited for his date. Unfortunately for him, the second the door was opened to reveal her, his breath was stolen. He stood there staring at her for a good moment, drinking in her appearance and being intoxicated by her perfume.

_____ was wearing a mini sleeved dress that ended midway through her thighs. Her curves were even more out there and Jake wanted nothing more than to run his hands around them. Around her neck was a silver chain with a teardrop shaped pendant with a small diamond in it. She was slightly taller than normal thanks to the heels on her feet. When Jake's eyes reached her face, he thought he might faint.

Her (h/c) hair was styled in curls that framed her face. Her makeup was impeccable, ruby color lips that Jake wanted to ruin with a kiss, smoky eye makeup that complimented her (e/c) eyes. She had teardrop shaped earrings on that matched her necklace. She looked like a piskie, or a faery, or something completely unreal.

When he realized he was staring, the tips of his ears turned pink and he raised his fist to his mouth, clearing his throat before speaking and averting his eyes.

"You… uh… you look beautiful, _____." He said.

She smiled. "Not overdressed?"

Jake shook his head. "No, of course not." He said before holding out his hand for her. "Shall we?"

"We shall." She replied and placed her hand in his.

Jake managed a smile at her, which ended up looking adoring. He led her down the porch before hooking his arm and placing _____'s hand on his forearm as he led her to his car.

"So what are your plans for tonight?" She asked as Jake opened the passenger's side door.

Jake gave her a small smile before pressing his forefinger to his lips. "It's a surprise." He said with a wink.

_____ giggled a bit at his attempt to be coy as she sat down in the car. Jake closed the door and scurried to the driver's side and got in, starting the car. He gave _____ another smile before starting the car and driving off.

*     *     *

"All right, Jake, now pretend that I'm _____." Dirk said and looked at his friend.

"Uh, sorry, mate, that’s easier said than done. You're taller than her. Don't have the same body type. And not to mention, your voice is way deeper." Jake said.

Dirk groaned. "You're not getting it, English. Just practice what you're going to do with her on me."

"I'm not sure I want to go that far with you."

"You… are impossible. I don't mean in the long run. I just mean tomorrow night!" Dirk was seriously starting to get annoyed and Jake could sense it. Maybe he went a little far with that last quip…

"Chill out, Strider, I was joking." Jake replied and ran a hand through his hair. "And what do you mean?"

"I mean what you're going to say when you pick her up. Knowing you, you'll freeze up the second you see her unless this is planned."

"Lay off. I'm not Mister Dirk New-Girl-Every-Night Strider. I'm new to this."

"No you are not." Dirk said. "You just failed horribly with your last relationship and never gathered the nerve to try again. Now be a man. Think of this as an adventure."

"Adventure…" Jake murmured.

"Exactly. Now do exactly what I said, ok?"

"All right. Fine. Whatever you say, Professor." Jake rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Good. Now go outside."

"Why do I have to go outside?"

"You're picking me up, remember?"

"I don’t see why I have to go outside for this. This is my house I'll have you know."

"ENGLISH GET YOUR ASS OUTSIDE THIS HOUSE OR I'LL CUT YOUR PISTOLS IN HALF!"

"FINE!!" Jake shouted back before storming out of the house.

Dirk rolled his eyes behind his Kanima shades and walked over to the door. Outside, Jake took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair, more annoyed that he had to actually pretend that his best friend was his date then actually being outside. Rolling his eyes, Jake turned around and rang the doorbell.

"Oh, hello, Jake! Is it that time already?" Dirk asked in a really shitty high pitched girl voice. Guys been watching too much puppet porn.

Jake just stared at Dirk with a "what the fuck" face. When he didn't answer, Dirk spoke again.

"Jakie-poo, you're staring. Is there something on my face? Am I overdressed?" Dirk asked in the same voice that was close to making Jake's ears bleed.

"Dirk… just… just stop. This is ridiculous."

"Dirk? That's not my name. I'm _____. Do you want to be with someone else right now? I mean if you don’t want to be here then you can just leave." Dirk kept going, and Jake could see him trying not to smirk at his discomfort. Bastard was having way too much fun with this.

"I can't do it like this, man. Seriously, just stop. I'll just wing it tomorrow night. I mean how hard can it be?" Jake said before pushing passed Dirk.

"Jake! Well I never! Barging into my home like this! What has gotten into you tonight?"

"OH MY GOOD GOD! DIRK STOP THIS IMMEDIATELY!" Jake turned around and shouted at his friend. "IT'S NOT FUNNY ANYMORE!"

"Whoa, man, calm down. Take a joke." Dirk said as himself, raising his arms up in surrender. "I was just having some fun."

"I'm sorry, but I thought you were going to help me, not make fun of me." Jake said. "You know what happened last time. I don't want it to happen again with _____. I really like her…"

"That's what you said about the last one. Before she dropped you like a shitty anime." Dirk said rather brazenly.

"Don't remind me, all right? I know how badly I fucked up. I just… don’t want to lose her before she's mine." Jake ran a hand through his hair and sat down on the couch.

"Come off it. You'll only lose her if you keep acting like this. Forget about last time. Focus on _____. Just imagine how smoothly this date will go. Picture that and nothing can go wrong." Dirk said and sat down next to his friend.

"Easier said than done. What if I slip up and she sees what's below the surface? What if she sees how broken I really am under my cool composed exterior?"

"You? Cool and composed? Pick none." Dirk said before putting a hand on Jake's shoulder before giving it a firm squeeze. "Dude, odds are, she might be just as broken as you are and you can fix each other. No one is completely perfect. No one is always 100% happy. You just have to look past that and live in the here and now. Not in the past."

Jake let out a sigh. "What about you, Strider? You have everyone eating out of the palm of your hand with your music and those shitty puppets."

"That might be true, but I never said fame and fortune have ever made me completely happy. I get girls, I have money, I have kick ass beats, but there are a few things I don’t have that I need to be happy." Dirk confessed. "You know this. And for the record, everyone loves smuppets. They are not shitty."

"I suppose you're right. About the happiness shit. Not the puppets." He ran a hand through his hair again. "For the record, you know you could just go see her again. You have the money to do it."

"I know I am. I'm D-Strides." Dirk said, a scowl appearing on his face. He pushed his shades up on his nose a bit. "And I can't. I have no reason to go back and I'm sure she hates me by now."

"You never know that. Have you talked to her since you left?"

"No. I know it for a fact." Dirk shook his head. "Just drop it, English. It doesn't matter. I'm not going back to see her." With that, he stood up and grinned as if the entire conversation never happened and adjusted his leather fingerless gloves. "So, how about more practice. I can do the voice again."

"Oh god, please no." Jake said and stood up.

"Come on Jakie-poo! Kiss me! Kiss me!" Dirk said in his glass breaking high pitched voice.

Jake's eyes widened and he backed up. "Hell no, Strider!"

"Kiss me!" He said again in his mock _____ voice.

"NO!" Jake shouted before he started running.

Laughing, Dirk started to chase after him, saying "Kiss me" and "Why don’t you love me, Jakie-poo" and flash-stepping every so often to make sure Jake didn't hide in a room before Dirk could get to him. About halfway through, Jake started laughing along with his friend, his earlier worries all but forgotten as he tried to run away.


	4. Chapter 4

Jake pulled into his driveway and got out before going around and opening the door for ______. She smiled and took his outstretched hand. When she stood up, she let go of his hand and smoothed out her dress so it wasn’t bunched up any more. Jake almost wanted to stop her, but he knew that wasn’t the most appropriate thing he could do on a first date.

When she was done, he held out his arm to her and smiled. She took it and then finally looked at the destination. She tilted her head with a confused look.

"Isn't this you're house? What are we doing here?" She asked.

Jake chuckled and started leading her to the door. "I thought we could spend the night making our dinner. Eat it by candle light and then maybe watch a movie on my TV before I take you home."

_____ giggled a bit. "Candle light, hmm? So romantic. And in your kitchen?"

"I have a dining room." Jake protested weakly, smiling, before opening the door. 

"I'm teasing, Jake." She said and walked in, turning to look at him. "So what do you intend on making?"

"Depends, what do you want to eat? Pick anything. It doesn’t matter what we eat."

_____ pursed her lips oh so cutely and looked up slightly in thought. "Hmmm… that’s a tricky question. Give me some options?"

"Hmmm… Steak, salmon, pasta, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheeses." Jake smirked a bit. 

"Hmmm. Last two are tempting. Hmmm. You sure you can make steak?" _____ asked. 

"Of course I can!" Jake said, though he was actually wondering if he would be able to pull this off. 

Truth be told, Jake couldn't cook work crap. Usually, when he wasn’t eating take out, his friends would bring him food. Janey would bring cakes that would last him a week. Roxy would bring over some good home cooked food with Dirk along with a bottle of wine, usually. All the other times, it was either Chinese or like… pizza. 

_____ nodded. "All right, if you want to make it, Master Chef English." She said with a teasing voice.

Jake chuckled and held out his arm again. "Well would you like to watch this Master Chef cook?" He asked. 

_____ put her hand on it and nodded. "I would be delighted, good sir."

He smiled at her before leading her into the kitchen. When they walked in, _____ headed to sit down in a chair at the island before Jake stopped. Smirking a bit, he lifted her by the waist before sitting her down on the granite counter top of the island. _____ laughed a bit at his antics before crossing her legs so she couldn't give Jake a view of what was under her skirt just yet. Before Jake turned to the stove, he took her hand in his before placing a feather light kiss on the back of it. 

"Dinner will be ready soon, my lady." He said with a grin.

_____ was blushing lightly and simply nodded, though Jake could have sworn her grin looked rather dorky comparatively. He smiled and then went to the fridge. Now how did Dirk show him how to cook? 

He looked at the steak in the fridge that was bought just hours prior, next to salmon that was also purchased. Dirk told him ways to cook them, but didn’t write them down and unfortunately, Jakes memory was a little scattered with _____ sitting on his island.

Taking the package of steak from the fridge he walked to the counter and opened up the package before throwing the steak in a plastic bag. He poured in some steak sauce along with a lot of salt and pepper. He thought that Dirk said something to make sure it was seasoned, and something about a plastic bag. He hoped he was doing it right. He closed the bag, not wanting to ruin his shirt with the steak sauce, and started practically shaking the bag with the steak in it. 

When he thought the steak was seasoned enough, he pulled out a baking pan, and covered in with tin foil before opening the bag and using a pair of tongs to get the steak out and place it on the pan. _____ looked on curiously as she watched him do this. Was he going to bake… the steak?

"Jake? Are you sure you know what you're doing?" _____ asked.

Jake looked back at her and nodded. "Of course I do. I've done this loads of times." He said with a smile that he was sure wasn’t exactly reassuring.

"If you say so." She said.

Jake grinned again before turning to his steak and popping it in the oven before he set the temperature and the timer. Half an hour should do the trick. When the steak was in the oven, Jake walked over to _____ after washing his hands, and stood in front of her, close enough that his chest was touching her bare legs.

"We have a bit of time to ourselves." He said and grinned up at her.

_____ giggled a bit, though something as nagging her at the back of her mind. Shouldn’t steak be grilled and not baked? "What do yo have in mind to occupy our time?"

Jake thought a moment before sliding _____ over on the island a bit before hopping up to sit next to her, leaning back on his palms. "We could get to know each other a bit." He said and side glanced at him with a smile, the way Dirk told him to do from an anime. Something about a host club…

"And here I thought you just wanted me for my body." She said and snickered. 

"Of course not." He said and smiled, tucking some hair behind her ear. "I don't think anyone would go through this much trouble for a first date if they just wanted to sleep with you."

_____ bumped her shoulder against his arm lightly and rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Jake." She said and giggled. "So how do you intend for us to get to know each other?"

"20 questions?" He asked. 

"Sure, but I'll have you know I suck at that game." She laughed a bit.

"How do you suck at a game that’s just asking questions?"

"I can't think of any questions to ask."

"Huh. Well… that’s unexpected." Jake laughed a bit. "Looks like it's your turn."

"Oh ho ho. I see what you did there." She said and rolled her eyes, thinking of a question to ask him.

Jake laughed and the game started. He found out that _____ had just graduated college with a degree in (major) and was currently in the market for jobs and that while she was doing that, her friend was kind enough to let her stay with her. He found out that her puppy Jake was a birthday present from two of her friends as well, even though her roommate preferred cats. He learned when her birthday was and what she always wanted to do when she was little. He also found out that she had a soft spot for romance novels and anime's as well and he said that if she liked anime that she should talk to Dirk.

In return, he told her how he was a manager at a firearms manufacturing plant, overseeing assembly of the weapons and distribution. He was in line for a promotion soon if the next couple of years went smoothly. He told her that Bec wasn’t even technically his puppy, just one that roamed around his home and that he fed. He also said that his favorite genre of books was adventure and he absolutely loved movies, though his favorite was Avatar. _____ made the joke that maybe one day she would paint herself blue for him, not realizing how much that thought turned Jake on.

"Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" _____ asked him.

At this point, she had one of Jake's hands in hers and was playing around with it, drawing designs on his palms with her fingers or bending his fingers. Jake thought her fidgeting was pretty cute. However, before he answered, he stopped her playing with his hand by lacing his fingers with hers. He looked at their hands as he spoke.

"I see myself in that new job, hopefully married if not engaged to a beautiful woman, mostly in mind, though appearance wouldn't be a downfall." He snickered a bit and looked at her. "I see myself living happily in a nice house with the woman I love in a job that puts food on the table, with my wife doing what she loves along with me."

Jake's other hand had moved up to _____'s cheek and his face was gradually getting closer to hers as he spoke, his voice getting softer and softer. His eyes were half lidded and ______ was barely centimeters from him, expecting what he wanted to do. He lips brushed hers ever so slightly and then…

The timer on the oven went off. _____ cracked a smile and bowed her head, backing up a bit and letting go of his hand. Jake was barely able to mask the look of disappointment on his face.

"Looks like the steak is ready." He said and hopped off the island and walked to the oven.


	5. Chapter 5

Grabbing an oven mitt, Jake opened the oven, turning it off, and picked the steak up. Setting it down on the stove, he grabbed a knife and a fork. He should probably taste this before he served it. He just prayed that it tasted good so he wouldn't embarrass himself. Taking a deep breath, he cut a small piece of the meat before popping it in his mouth. He froze with the fork raised in his hand as he chewed.

He… he couldn’t believe how awful it tasted! It was undercooked and it was just… too salty and hard to chew. He screwed up. He screwed up big time. It was all he could do not to spit out the half chewed food in his mouth. Forcing himself to swallow it, he picked up the edge of the tinfoil and wrapped it around the steak before picking it up and tossing it.

"Jake? What was that for?" _____ asked.

"It was really… bad."

_____ giggled. "I thought you were doing something wrong. So you can't cook, huh?"

Turning to look at her, Jake leaned around the counter and blushed, turning his face away. "Yeah… Dirk told me how to make it but I couldn't remember." He ran a hand through his hair. "I hope this isn’t asking too much, but do you think you would be able to cook dinner?"

_____ pursed her lips and Jake immediately regretted asking her. Maybe since it was a date he asked her on, he should be the one who was able to cook the food.

"To be honest, I can't cook either. Nothing much more complicated than a grilled cheese anyway." She blushed and looked down.

Jake blinked. "Then… what do you eat? You don’t look like you survive on take out."

_____ looked up and shrugged. "I don't. Usually Roxy cooks for me and sometimes Jane brings over some of her fresh baked goodies."

Jake blinked. Roxy and… Jane? "Do you mean Roxy Lalonde and Jane Crocker?"

"You know them?" _____ asked. "Roxy is my roommate. I live with her."

"I do actually. Roxy and Dirk come over all the time with food and sometimes Jane brings over some cakes and cookies too." Jake confessed.

"But… Roxy said that she didn’t know you…"

Realization dawned on the both of them. "Those sly bastards." Jake muttered. "I swear to god, Dirk, I'm going to shoot you in the foot when I see you next."

_____ blinked. "Uh… Jake?"

Jake looked up at her. "Yes?"

"I think you should ix-nay on the hooting-say." She said and hopped down and walked over to him. "It's not like it’s a bad thing what they did, right?"

He put his hands on her hips lightly. "I suppose you have a point." He said and smiled down at her.

She smiled back. "So how about we make some grilled cheeses and watch Avatar?" She asked.

"We don't have to watch that movie." He said and ran his fingers through his hair. "What movie do you want to watch?"

"I do want to watch it. Truth be told, I've never actually seen it." She said as the tips of her ears turned pink. "I just know everyone is blue."

"Not everyone." He said and shrugged. "But I suppose you can't be uneducated in the cinerary gold that is Avatar. Especially if you're going to be with me."

"Oh, so now there are qualifications to date you?" She said teasingly.

"Only this one." He snickered. "So how about we make those sandwiches."

"Sounds like a wonderful plan."

Jake smiled and let go of _____, even though he really didn’t want to, and the two set to work buttering the bread and grating cheddar cheese before cooking them. When each of them had at least two, Jake lead her to the living room where _____ kicked of her shoes and sat down on the couch. After he set up the movie, Jake sat down next to her, shoulder to shoulder. Giving _____ a smile, he started eating.

Not before long, all of the sandwiches were finished and Jake left _____ for a moment to throw out the paper plates. When he returned, he sat back down, only this time he draped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her gently into him so she was leaning against his side. _____ looked up at him for a moment, but Jake was smiling and looking at the TV, the reflection of the screen dancing across the lenses of his glasses. _____ smiled a bit at how happy he looked, thinking he looked best like this and wished that nothing would cause him to look any other way.

Snuggling into his side, she shifted a bit so her legs were draped across his lap and rested her head on his chest over his heart, listening to it beat as well as watching the movie. By the time it was over, _____ had fallen asleep and Jake was close, with both of his arms wrapped around _____'s sleeping form. When the ending credits played, Jake snapped up, alert and looked around, realizing that he was almost asleep.

He looked down at _____ and smiled a bit, seeing her look so peaceful as she slept. He smoothed out her hair and admired her doll like face before he thought it was about time to wake her. Shaking her shoulder softly, he murmured her name.

Stirring, _____ looked up at him groggily, her eyes half lidded. "Jake? What's going on?"

"You fell asleep." He said in a soft voice, smiling. "The movies over and I think I should bring you home now. Roxy might get worried."

_____ frowned like she didn’t want to move and Jake couldn't blame her. "Falling asleep on the first date probably doesn’t look well on the aspect of the whole relationship." She said, adding a bit of a joking tone to her voice.

"I think it reflects well on it. It means we're already comfortable enough and feel safe with each other to pass out." He said and brushed the back of her fingers against her cheek.

"I suppose you have a point." She murmured, leaning her cheek into his hand like a puppy. All too soon, she stood up and stretched. Covering her mouth as she yawned, she picked up her shoes and slipped them on. "Thank you for dinner, Jake." She smiled.

Jake stood up and smiled back. "I should be thanking you for that." He chuckled. "And thanks, for agreeing to go out with me."

_____ laughed a bit. "Oh pish. If I were to be completely honest, I had been waiting for you to call since I brought you home that day." She blushed a bit.

"Well, my apologies for making you wait." He said and then bowed slightly, holding out his arm. "Shall we?"

"We shall." She said and smiled at him.

With a grin on his face, Jake lead _____ back out to his car, opening both doors for her before driving her home. The ride back was silent, but it was comfortable and Jake was lost in his thoughts as he took her home. He was unbelievably ecstatic. Not only was he dating a beautiful woman, but a woman that his friends set him up with. If he knew Dirk like he thought he did, he would have thought he would have slept with _____ instead of saving her for him. He would have to remember to thank him later.

Seeing the house, Jake pulled into _____ and Roxy's driveway. Parking the car, Jake got out and opened the door for _____ and helped her out before walking her to the door. Standing there, he shifted from foot to foot and ran a hand through his hair. Looking at her, he smiled a bit.

"I really did have a great time tonight." He said.

"Me too." She said and smiled before looking at her shoes.

 _Kiss her, English!_ Jake heard Dirk say in his head.

Running a hand through his hair, Jake reached out and put his hand on the back of her head before pulling her close. _____ looked up at him just in time to have his lips connect with hers. Jake was more than a little relieved when he felt her kissing back. Sliding his hands to her hips, he pulled her body closer to him before looping his arms around her. Every nerve ending in his body was on fire, the warmth and pressure of her body on his was electrifying and he never wanted it to stop. _____ slid her arms around his neck before tilting her head.

Unfortunately for Jake, before he could go any further with the kiss, they heard someone clear their throat. Pulling back, Jake looked up to see a tipsy Roxy standing in the doorway with her arms crossed. Realizing that they had an audience, Jake blushed profusely and let go of _____ as she let go of him. Embarrassed, he ran his hand through his hair.

"All right, you two," Roxy started slurring. "It's time to come in and be good kids. Go home lover boy. Dirk is probably waiting on a status report."

Jake's face turned redder and he rolled his eyes at Roxy. Ignoring her, he turned to _____. "I'll text you later." He said.

She nodded. "I'll be waiting."

Smiling she kissed him lightly on the lips before walking inside. When the door closed, Jake put his fingers to his lips lightly, still remembering her kisses. Barely a moment later, those same lips broke apart in a goofy smile as he went to his car. Before he started driving, he opened up a text to Dirk.

_Thanks, man. I appreciate it._

While Jake was driving home, his phone rang with a reply.

_I assume you figured out what we did. Don't mention it man. One of us needed to be happy and we agreed that you needed it more than any of us._


	6. Chapter 6

_____ was standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom after Jake dropped her off washing off her makeup. Roxy was leaning against the doorway sipping a martini and grinning.

"So how did it go?" She asked.

"Wonderful." _____ replied with a grin. "We went to his house for dinner and then we watched a movie."

"What did you eat and what did you watch?"

"We ate grilled cheeses because neither of us could cook much else. Jake tried to cook a steak but apparently it ended up being far too salty. Then we watched Avatar. I ended up falling asleep halfway through."

"Someone is in loooooovvveeeee~" Roxy cooed.

_____ blushed darkly and then walked passed Roxy and into her room. "Am not. It was just the first date!" She said. "I just think he's so cute. He's a little dorky but it's endearing. I just… he's… ugh. I can't even explain it. I can't wait to see him again."

As she was talking, she changed and Roxy leaned against the door again, looking at her friend with a knowing smile. "Sounds like love to me." She said. "I'm sure Jake feels the same about you. He's not the type who would fail at cooking for just anyone. Hey, he might even ask you to lunch tomorrow during his break at work."

"I don't think he would ask me out again that soon." _____ said and then hung up Roxy's dress after changing into a (f/c) tank top and a pair of comfy lounge pants.

"You never know. You don't know Jake English the way I do." She said.

"Speaking about that. Why didn't you just set me up on a blind date with him?"

"Because you would have frozen me out thinking this was another ploy to get you a love life again." Roxy said. "Jake would have done the same."

"What do you mean? I would not have. Jake is…"

"Perfect?" Roxy finished for her. "And what I mean is both of you went through some rough patches in your love lives fairly recently."

"It wasn't a rough patch. He just decided to leave me alone while he went off to fight in the war." _____ said indignantly.

"You still refused to leave your dorm for months." Roxy said and crossed her arms. "Listen, I didn't want you to live your life waiting for him to come back. You needed to move on and like you said Jake is perfect. You can be happy with him. I saw it tonight, it was love at first… kiss."

"I think the term is sight." _____ said and flopped down on her bed. "And yeah. I suppose you're right. Frank's never coming back anyway and it's not like I promised to wait for him or anything."

"Exactly! Now text your man and you ask him out on the date this time." Roxy said.

_____ groaned. "Do I have to?"

"Yes! Now, I need another drink."

_____ laughed a bit as Roxy left her roommate's room and walked to the kitchen. Letting out a wistful sigh, _____ pulled out her phone and scrolled through the numbers until she was at Jakes. However, before she was able to send a text, one was received.

*     *     *

The second Jake walked inside, he pulled out his phone and called Dirk. Almost as if he really was waiting for a status report, Dirk answered immediately.

"So how did it go, lover boy? Sweep her of her feet?"

"I think I did." Jake said and walked up to his room.

"All right, lay it on me."

Jake did as he was told and relayed what happened on the date, the mess ups and the good things. Dirk made some noises of attention as Jake talked and when he was finished, he fell silent.

"Dirk?"

"Hmm. Sounds like it went well. Though, falling asleep on a date, huh? That boring?"

"I don't think so. I think she was just tired." Jake said. "She didn't seem bored when we kissed in front of her house."

"Stop right there man. I don't need to hear the details of your make-out session pre-Roxy." Dirk said.

Jake blushed and flopped down on her bed. "I know, I know. I'm sorry. I just… this feeling. I don't know what it is."

"It's love, man." Dirk said.

"You would know." Jake replied with sarcasm.

"Hey! I have felt it once before, mind you!" Dirk defended himself, though Jake could tell he touched a nerve.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I just… I can't wait to see her again already and she's only just left."

"Aw, Jake's finally growing up! How adorable. I need to take a picture for my picture album!" Dirk said.

"Seriously, man?"

"No, not seriously. I'm not so lame to have a photo book of your progress in life. That's Jane's department."

"Oh, har har." Jake said. "What should I do? I'm already in too deep and it's only been one day."

"There is only one solution to this problem."

"Well what's that?"

"Ask her out again!" Dirk practically shouted. "I thought that part should be easy. Hang up the phone and text your girl. Ask her out during your lunch break tomorrow."

"Fine, fine. All right." Jake said. "I will. I'll talk to you later."

"Good luck, English." Dirk hung up.

Jake stared at his ceiling for a while, his heart pounding, before he finally picked up his phone and scrolled to _____'s number. Tapping it, he opened up a text message.

 _Hey, I know this might seem too eager, but, do you want to go to lunch with me tomorrow during my break?_ He typed.

Taking a deep breath, he pressed send before he could chicken out. Within seconds, he got a response It seemed she was thinking about him just as much as he was about her.

_Yeah, sure! Where and when?_

_Panera Bread at 1? The one on Main Street by Starbucks._

_Sure, sounds good to me. I'll see you there. ;) <3_

Jake blinked as he stared at his phone. A winky face and a heart? Did Roxy steal her phone? He couldn't be sure. All he was sure of was that his heart felt like it was about to beat out of his chest.

_I can't wait. <3_


	7. Chapter 7

When the clock struck one, _____ dressed in something simple before heading to Panera Bread to meet up with Jake. Smiling at Roxy, who wished _____ good luck on her second date with Mr. English, she pet Jake, giving him a dog treat before leaving the house and getting in her car.

Taking a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart, she started to drive, unable to keep the stupid grin off her face as she headed into town.

* * *

Jake was waiting outside the doors of Panera. His hands were in his pockets to keep him from fidgeting with them and he started pacing. He didn't want her to be late because after lunch he had intended to take her to his favorite shooting range before he went back to work, thinking they could both do something fun that didn't involve falling asleep to a movie.

He checked his watch for the nth time that day, the sleeves of his emerald green button up shirt rolled up to his elbows. Unfortunately, Jake wasn't able to change out of his work attire so he was wearing a pair of black slacks and over the shirt was a black vest. The top two buttons were undone because he at least ditched the tie he was wearing thinking that was too formal for a place like Panera. 

"Have I kept you waiting long?"

Jake jumped a bit and turned around, seeing ______ standing before him. She was wearing a pair of dark blue skinny jeans and a pair of boots with a simple black shirt over it. Jake smiled at her and shook his head. He leaned down and gave her a peck on the lips.

"Nope, not at all." He said and smiled at her, holding out his hand.

_____ smiled at him and took his hand and the two walked into Panera. The two ordered their food and once they got it, they sat down and started eating, sharing a light conversation. That is until Jake decided to dwell into uncharted territory.

"So, ______," He said with a smirk, trying to play it off as a joke. "A woman as beautiful as you must have had boyfriends before me." He said. "Care to tell me about them? So I know what not to do to keep you mine."

_____ froze at the mention of previous boyfriends and ran a hand through her hair. Catching her face which was now frowning, she smiled up at him and reached over for Jake's hand, which he allowed her to take seeing her discomfort. He started cursing himself for bringing that up, but it was too late now.

"I've only had one serious boyfriend before you." She said. "His name was Frank. We were together all throughout college, but when he graduated, he went off to fight in the war. Never heard from him or saw him in over 4 years so I don't know what happened to him."

Jake frowned and lifted her hand to his lips, placing a feather-light kiss on her knuckles. "I'm sorry." He said.

______ shook her head and then smiled at him, this time, a bit more genuine then the one before. "It's fine. If that never happened, then we never would have met. I'm sure he's safe somewhere anyway with a new girlfriend or something. It's not like we agreed to wait for each other or something." She laughed a bit, but it was hallow.

Jake sighed. That laugh clearly said that she had wanted to wait for him, but it was impossible for her. Deciding to drop the subject, Jake stood and smiled at her, helping her up.

"Well since we're done here, how about we go someplace fun before I have to depart for the day?" He asked. 

"I'd like that, Jake." _____ replied.

Jake smiled and kissed her head before leading her out of Panera Bread. Since his favorite range was just around the corner and down the block, he figured a nice brisk walk would be welcomed; besides, he didn't want to leave _____'s side when she seemed so unhappy.

The two walked in silence; after a quick stop at his car; and Jake couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable, but he didn't think _____ wanted to talk, so he stayed silent. When they approached the building, she finally spoke up.

"A shooting range?" She asked.

Jake nodded. "I figured that I should show off my skills with a gun before I went back to work. Besides, I'm curious to know if you can shoot."

Jake hoped that she couldn't however. No better way to get closer than to teach her how to properly hold and aim a firearm, his arms around her, her back against his chest…

_____ shrugged a bit, smiling a bit. "I was curious if those pistols on your nightstand were just for show. Show me what you got, English." She said. 

"With pleasure, _______." He said and grinned.

Opening the door, Jake paid the entry fee for both of them and showed his license for the guns in his bags before walking up to a stall. Opening the duffle bag, he pulled out his twin pistols and a few magazines of bullets. Setting them up, showing his rather anal retentive side for firearms, he put on the goggles and headphones, making sure that _____ had hers on as well.

Giving _____ a thumbs up, he set up the dummy paper and loaded both of his guns before holding them both in his hands straight out at the dummy. Aiming he started firing repeatedly until both cartridges were devoid of any ammunition.

Setting the guns down, he turned around and looked at _____ with a huge grin. She was looking back at him rather impressed with his show. When he brought the paper dummy back, putting a new one in it place, the two examined the bullet holes. There were two big clusters in the two fatal areas, the heart and the head, while he also showed off his ability to disarm as well as kill, with a few holes on the arms and the shoulders. 

"Remind me never to get you pissed." _____ said teasingly, nudging Jake.

Jake laughed a bit and slid his arms around _____'s waist, pulling her into him. "I would never use my guns on another human. Especially you." He said and leaned in.

_____ smiled and closed her eyes halfway and looked up at him. "I guess it's my turn, then, huh?"

"In just a minute." He murmured, his lips barely touching hers.

However, just before he could connect them completely, the sound of a ringtone started blaring. Groaning, _____ stepped away and sighed. 

"That's probably Roxy. Something might have happened to Jakie. I'll be right back." She said.

Jake frowned but nodded. When she pulled out her phone, she pecked his cheek before walking away a bit so the conversation couldn't be overheard. 

Rubbing his forehead, Jake picked up his guns and reloaded them before emptying the cartridges once more into the paper dummy. By the time he was finished, _____ had returned to his side with a strange look on her face.

It was a mix between horror, confusion and shock.

Jake tilted his head and looked at her. He put a hand on her cheek to make him look up at her, but she stepped out of his reach.

"What is it, sweetheart?" He asked.

_____ swallowed hard and finally met his green eyes with her (e/c) ones. Jake thought he could see her shaking a bit as she stood there. Was it cold or something?

"Frank's back from the war." She said. "And… he wants to see me."


	8. Chapter 8

Weeks have passed since _____ had said that her ex-boyfriend called and wanted to see her. Weeks and she hasn’t once contacted Jake. The boy in question stood in his house, pacing in front of the couch as Dirk sat down and looked up at him.

"Look, man," Dirk started after a while of just sitting there. "If she wanted to see you, she would have called by now."

"Yeah, but maybe she's confused? What if she doesn't know what she wants?"

"Then obviously she doesn't want you." Dirk said.

"But I want her. I need her, Dirk. You don't understand." He said.

The other boy glared. "Actually, Jake, I do. And look, it's not that bad once you get used to it, once you get away. Trust me."

Jake's lip twitched a bit when he saw he touched a nerve. "I can't just pick up and move." He said.

"Yes you can. You got that promotion, yeah? It's all the way on the east coast, right? Then go. Tell her that she has to make a choice, either go with you or stay here with her ex." He said. "If she doesn’t meet you at the airport before you leave, the obviously, she didn’t choose you."

"I'm not sure I have it in me to be cruel like that… If I do choose to go I don’t think I'd be able to make myself tell her I'm leaving and give her an ultimatum like that."

"Not telling her is even crueler then giving her an ultimatum." Dirk said and crossed his arms. "Look, call her. See what she sounds like, if she sounds happy, then just leave and make the choice for her."

Jake sighed. "All right. Fine." He said and sat down on the couch next to Dirk, pulling out his phone.

Jakes scrolled down the telephone numbers until he reached _____'s number and pressed the call button before he could stop himself. He brought the phone up to his ear and listened to the dial tone. He didn’t expect her to pick up because she had been ignoring him since Frank came back from the war, wouldn’t return his texts or his calls. But something made this time different. The phone picked up and he heard a laugh before the voice of the woman he loved answering.

"Hello?" She asked as if she didn't know it was him.

"Hey… _____." Jake deadpanned.

She sobered up. "Oh. Jake. Look I've been meaning to call but--"

"Save it." He said. "I don't care anymore. I hope he makes you happy."

Before _____ had a chance to respond, Jake hung up the phone and bowed his head in his hands. Dirk frowned and put his hand on Jakes back softly and felt him start to shake. Crying. Listening closely, Dirk could hear the sobs of his best friends. It was only two dates yet he loved her that much to cry for her? Dirk said nothing as he let Jake cry. When he calmed down he wiped his eyes and then dialed his work.

"Yes, Lou? I'll gladly take the job." He said into the mouthpiece.

"Wonderful. The plane leaves tomorrow night. I'll send a moving crew to collect your things."

"Thank you." Jake said and hung up, putting his phone in his pocket.

"Want me to get Roxy and Jane to help pack?"

"No. Because they one of them will tell _____ and I don't want her to know."

"All right. Then I'll help."

"Thanks."

*     *     *

_____ frowned at her phone and then looked up at Roxy, her drink still in her hand. "That was Jake." She said.

Roxy raised an eyebrow and tilted her head to the side. "Whatshe callin for?"

"I… I don’t know but I think he just dumped me."

"Yer sure that was Jake? I don’t think he would have done that."

"No it was definitely him. But… I couldn't tell him what I wanted to do yet. He sounded so upset." _____ said.

"Guess he doesn't know what a celebration sounds like on the phone." Roxy said. "Just go over tomorrow night after work and tell him the news."

_____ smiled a bit and looked at her glass. "Yeah, I hope it makes him happy."

"Well it should, it took ya long enough to pick." Roxy said and laughed and turned to the bartender. "Yo! Give us another round!"

 

The next day after work it was pitch dark. _____ cursed as she hated that he job didn't get out until 11 which really made it hard to have a personal life on the weekends. Driving her car she pulled up into the driveway of Jake's house. She didn’t see his car but she just assumed that it was in the garage. Getting out of the car she walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell. As she waited, she noticed there was a note on the door and took it off. It was in an envelope addressed to her.

_Dear ______

_Dirk told me I shouldn’t do this, leave a note, but I couldn’t leave without at least telling you something, not that I even expect you to come to my house at all. I just wanted to say that I got the promotion in my company and decided to take it. They had me move out earlier. I had hoped that you would have come see me but I guess the real world isn’t so kind. I hope you live happily with Frank and I wish you well. I just wish I could have told you how I felt before I left but I guess it wouldn’t have mattered anyway._

_I love you. I know it sounds stupid since we've only been on two dates but I fell in love with you and that’s why I'm letting you go. I want your happiness more than anything so be happy._

_Yours,_

_Jake_

As the note progressed, _____ couldn’t help but feel tears sting the back of her eyes until they fell onto the page, running the ink. By the end of it, she was bawling and clutched the note to her chest, falling to her knees. He thought that she wanted Frank. He thought that she chose Frank over him. But he didn’t hear this from her. Dirk. Dirk was the one that told him what to do. Drying her tears she stood up and got into her car. Shooting out a text to Roxy she asked where Dirk lived, under the guise that Jake was hanging out there. When she responded with the address, she started her car and drove over there.

On her way there, she tried calling Jake only to find out that he had disconnected the phone number. Parking haphazardly on the curb she got out and walked to the door before slamming her fist against it hard a few times. She barely registered the size of Dirks house but that didn’t matter. What mattered was giving Dirk a what for. After maybe the tenth knock the door opened.

"Whoa there hold your hor--" he cut off. "_____ what are you doing here?"

"This!" She said and pushed the note into his hands.

Dirk quickly read over the note and frowned by the time he got to the end. "Damn him. I told him this was a bad idea." He muttered, handing the note back. "What does this have to do with anything?"

"Jake left and I know Roxy or Jane wouldn’t give him advice to leave until he knew what I chose." She said. "The only other person close to him who I could think would give him advice to just leave is you."

"Yeah. Great deductive skills you have there." He said blandly and crossed his arms. "What about it?"

"I was going to pick him! Roxy and I were out celebrating last night because I was finally able to pick someone." She said. "And I picked Jake! And now he won't know unless you tell me where he went."

"Can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm protecting my friend."

"From what? Heartbreak that wouldn’t have come?" She said venomously.

"No. I'm protecting him from making a mistake that he might regret."

"Oh yeah, because choosing love over his future is a big mistake. Because I wouldn’t have dropped anything to be with him if he took the promotion." She said. "Love isn’t something that is bad, Dirk. But I guess you wouldn’t know since you’ve never been in it."

Before she allowed him to answer, she turned around and started to her car, but just as she was reaching for the handle to open the door, a body appeared in front of it. Looking up she saw Dirk and his shades were off. She gasped when she saw Dirk was glaring down at her, but beyond that she saw a sadness that she hadn’t seen in anyone before.

"Don't act like you know what I've been through, _____." He said coldly. "You don't know me and you don't know whether or not I've been in love before so don't pretend like you know me, like you're on top of the world. Not get off your high horse and get off my property."

_____ stepped back a bit and scrambled to say anything to apologize to him, but before she got the change and her voice, Dirk was gone and she heard the slamming of a door.

 

Two months after Jake had left, _____ was on her laptop looking up homes far away from the west coast, and since the east was nearly three thousand miles away, she figure that was a good place to start. As she was looking at apartments in a small town, Roxy came up behind her.

"Whatcha doin?" She asked.

"Nothing. Looking up things." _____ replied.

"Looks like you're looking up homes. Are you going to move?"

_____ sighed. "I decided it's time I moved out, got away from here." She said. "I can't stand living here anymore when Jake isn’t here and Dirk hates me. Have you even heard his last song?"

"I did. I tried to yell at him for it but he started to ignore me and Jane."

"Exactly so I'm just going to move. I found a nice little place in (Home state) and they've even got an opening in (job title) so I decided to move there."

"I don't suppose I can change your mind?"

_____ shook her head and sighed. "No. I'm sorry."

"No. It's fine. When are you leaving?"

"End of the week. I have tickets and the moving crew is going to come take my stuff."

"All right. I'll help you pack then."

"Thank you, Roxy."

"Anything for you. I just hope you find happiness in your new home."

_____ smiled softly and then stood up and hugged her friend. "Thank you. I promise to call as often as I can and keep in text with you."

Roxy hugged her back. "Best friends forever."

"Best friends forever."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter of Secret Set Up. Up next is Dirk story of a complicated lost love before we return to the heart break of Jake and what will happen to him when he and his ladylove meet back up on the east coast!


End file.
